Crisis Develops at Hapoel Hamizrachi Parley in Israel when Large Faction Walks out

November 1, 1949

JERUSALEM (Oct. 31)

The first crisis of the tenth annual conference of Hapoel Hamizrachi, now taking place here, developed today when a large faction, known as “Lamifne,” walked out of the session during an address by Immigration Minister Moshe Shapira, a Hapoel Hamizrachi leader in Israel. The protesting faction had earlier demanded discussion of the problem of affiliating with the Histadrut, but this proposal was rejected.

Summarizing the achievements of the religious labor organization both in the Knesset and in the government, Minister Shapira concluded by calling for unity within the ranks of Hapoel Hamizrachi and urged that membership in the movement be increased to 50,000 this year in order to make it the “dominant political religious power in the state.”

Among those attending the conference were top Histadrut leaders, including Communications Minister David Remez and Histadrut secretary-general Pinchas Lubianker. A resolution declaring that no rule other than Israel’s over Jerusalem will be acceptable was unanimously adopted last night. A special prayer in behalf of the Jews in Iraq was also offered. The membership of Hapoel Hamizrachi, it was reported, is now 30,000 as compared with 11,000 a year ago.